Archive for August, 2010

Local Mandolin player, Buzzy Hamilton is struggling with cancer and The Folk School of Chattanooga has teamed up with Buzzy’s friend, Lori Carter to hold a benefit for this much beloved Chattanoogan. The benefit features BBQ at $10/plate with the proceeds going to help Buzzy with medical expenses. It is open to anyone and musicians are encouraged to come and jam with instructors and students from the Folk School of Chattanooga. Mark your calendars for Friday, September 3rd from 5-7 p.m. for this pre-Nightfall event which takes place at the Lindsey Street Hall just a block down from Miller Plaza.

Appalachian Celtic Connection is hosting the Appalachian Celtic Festival and Highland Games this Labor Day weekend, September 4th and 5th, in Ringgold Georgia. In addition to a new location for the festival this year, the organizers are excited to be providing Highland Games in place of the demonstrations from previous years. There will be Celtic and Appalachian music, Irish step dancers, Scottish en-actors and more. Vendors will be serving Scottish food in addition to regular festival fare. Gates open from 10:00 to 6:00 on Saturday and 10:00 to 5:00 on Sunday. Tickets are available in advance or at the festival. The festival is family friendly and open to everyone.

On Saturday night there will be a ceilidh at the Ringgold Depot. A ceilidh (pronounced kaylee) is a kitchen party and you can expect dancing, music and a grand time. Tickets for the ceilidh are sold separately and will be available at the festival on Saturday, September 4th.

High school students interested in the construction field can participate in a multidisciplinary mentoring program that teams students with construction professions in a variety of fields. Architecture, construction and engineering professionals join designers, project specialists, and many other fields to provide information and a real world business approach to helping high school students understand the construction world. ACE Mentoring of Chattanooga is affiliated with the national program. Construction professionals volunteer their time and student participants in the program are eligible to compete for scholarships. High school students in Chattanooga that are interested in joining the ACE Mentoring program must register online by September 22, 2010. Participation is limited so submit your application soon.

The Barley Mob Brewers have been helping home brew enthusiasts share their tricks and their beer since 2002. The organization provides instruction in brewing and often gets together socially to share the fruits of their labor. Coming up in October, the Barley Mob Brewers will be hosting a competition at the Chattanooga Market. The Oktoberfest Homebrew Competition will be judged according to 2008 Beer Judge Certification Program standards. If you aren’t sure what those are, you can sign up for a program to learn to be a beer judge through the Barley Mob Brewers as well.

If you have a homebrew that you feel is potentially award winning, be sure to sign up for the competition. You can drop off your entries at Riverside Beverage Company or ship them directly to the Barley Mob Brewers of Chattanooga.

The Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga is going cageless. Today, we will travel to their shelter in downtown Chattanooga and find out how it works–how they can keep the animals in the shelter without cages. We’ll also find out how it makes pets easier to adopt.

Guy Bilyeu, Executive Director of Chattanooga’s Humane Society, leads us on a tour of the dramatically renovated shelter.

Last week on Around and About, we talked to a Southern author named Susan Gregg Gilmore. We discussed her latest novel, called the The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove. Today, Gilmore returns to our show, and we’re discussing another topic… her acclaimed debut novel, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen. The story is set in Ringgold, Georgia, and it was a surprise hit when it was published two years ago.

In this interview, Gilmore discusses how she wrote it, how the people in the real town of Ringgold have reacted to it, and how she uses Southern grace to deal with some of her worst critics.

The Marching Mocs at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga have caught green fever and are modifying the way the marching band operates to reduce their carbon footprint. The faculty and students are coming up with environmentally friendly approaches to reduce their impact on landfills by eliminating disposable cups at the practice field. Collecting used paper around the campus is another way the Marching Mocs are making a difference. By copying their music on the back of used paper they are thinking and acting green. It will be interesting to see other innovations the faculty, staff and students come up with to keep the Marching Mocs in step with the University’s commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The 2010 United Way of Greater Chattanooga campaign kicks off today with a luncheon that brings community organizations, nonprofits and agencies together. The mission of the United Way is to unite people and resources in building a stronger and healthier community. Dr. Bill Stacy, chancellor emeritus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is the volunteer chairman for this campaign.

Dr. Stacy understands the influence and positive impact that collaborations can bring to the table. Inviting the community to get involved in visioning, planning and the decision-making process has long been a hallmark of what makes Chattanooga stand out among other communities. Putting the process of the “Chattanooga Way” to task in supporting the United Way is the focus of Stacy’s approach to the 2010 campaign.

Many corporations in the region are involved in the United Way campaign by providing payroll deduction for employee contributions. For retirees or individuals employed where payroll deduction is not supported, you can contact United Way of Greater Chattanooga at 423-752-3000 to make a direct contribution.

The Southern Foodways Alliance has a Staff of 5 people who work from the University of Mississippi in Oxford and over 800 members from all over the South including writers, eaters, chefs and academics.

Dogs love to fetch and an athletic dog leaping into the air to catch a flying disc is not an uncommon sight on a summer day in the park. Hyperflite sponsors the Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship competition each year and it is returning to AT&T field next month to determine the 2010 champions. With the competition just a little over a month away, it is not too late to train your own dog to compete. Hyperflite offers a free training manual to help you get started.

For the most part, dogs love to play with their favorite humans anyway so preparing them for disc competition is as simple as playing with your dog. Skyhoundz disc dogs often leap into the air to catch the disc and the competition offers a variety of divisions to demonstrate your dog’s athletic ability.

The world championships invite winning teams that have qualified through local and regional competitions. On Friday, September 24th there will be a qualifying round held in Chattanooga to fill the few remaining positions in the competition. You must register to compete in the final open qualifier.